RIDICULOUS
by disneyfan1968
Summary: Not part of the What IF series. Just a one shot because I am watching the movie and this came to me.
Ridiculous

Author's note: This is not a part of my What If series.

Mal returned from the tourney match with Ben's shirt. As she crossed the common towards the dorms she passed groups of students, all saying congratulations and a few even said about time that he dated a real girl. Mal had wanted to hide when Ben broke out in song, this made her want to return to the isle. She wanted to blend in, not stand out. What was she thinking giving Ben that love spelled cookie. 'That's the last time I follow the spell that gets the best reviews.' Mal thought to herself.

Mal dashed into her room, and stuffed the uniform shirt under the bed. She had just sat down when the phone the school assigned her, the first full day after arriving, went off. She looked at the message to find it was a down load of some sort. She opened it to find a video of Ben's performance. Mal couldn't watch it. She just closed it, but it was already in her phone.

The next day, Ben cornered her after third period. "Hey Mal, I haven't seen you since yesterday, how are you?"  
"Fine." She answered a little leery of what he was up too. Would he try and kiss her again? She knew that was a very bad idea. Emotions have no place in evil plans. "How are you?" She decided to add.

"Great thank you. I was wondering what you were doing later today, after classes?"  
"Nothing, why?"

"Well I thought we could go out, I mean, I did tell everyone including you how I feel about you."  
"I sure, ok fine." She knew she had to keep up the façade of being his girlfriend, so she guessed a date was a part of the plan.

"I will pick you up at 4:30."  
"Yeah, sure."

Mal looked around to make sure no one saw her, and she allowed a small smile to escape, she had no idea why. Now, what would she do, what exactly was a date, and how did you dress for one. Evie would know. Mal went in search of Evie. But her mind wandered to the download on her phone. Who had sent it to her? And could possibly be on there? Well she'd check it later.

Mal returned from her date, and her whole attitude had changed. She questioned everything her mother ever taught her. Ben had been so kind, so gentle, so polite, so nurturing, so patient, so what was the word…loving. He hadn't forced her to do anything she hadn't wanted to. After she had tried to save him, and he found out she couldn't swim, well he hadn't thrown her in, hadn't teased her about it. He promised to teach her. Promised her that he believed in her, that he loved her. And when she couldn't tell him she loved him back, when she had, in a moment of weakness, confess the truth, that she had no idea what love was, he wasn't mad. He actually seemed upset for her, mad on her behalf. Mal was certain it wasn't pity either. He was under the influence of the love spell, but well, he was very convincing. Enough so that she questioned everything she had ever learned about the people that imprisoned her mother and her friend's parents on the Isle of the lost. She questioned their sides of their stories of what they were sent away for. She began to wonder what the real truth was.

After dealing with Evie and telling her everything about her date, Mal took a shower to warm up. After the shower she put on warm purple pj's and tucked herself into bed. Ear buds came with the phone, so she dared to put them in and watch the download that was sent to her. It was Ben's full performance, and a few times the person who took the video pointed their camera on her. She actually smiled when she caught the shirt. And Evie, she would have to talk to her about getting into that song! At the end she watched Ben try and kiss her. And for a strange reason, Mal regretted ducking that kiss. She wondered what a kiss from Ben would feel like. Mal left the video on repeat, and listened to the song. It was funny how all of a sudden she went from embarrassed to hopeful. Could he really feel like this for her once the love spell was broken? It was then she knew no matter what she needed to break the spell once they took the wand. She just didn't know if she wanted the wand anymore.

For days, when in the room alone, Mal would take out Ben's shirt, hold it and play the video. She had learned the words by now and well she liked how the shirt smelled. She had almost been caught a few times by Evie.

The day after the coronation, Evie came back to the room early to find Mal's back to the door. Evie was about to tap her on the shoulder when she heard Mal start singing. RIDICULOUS. Evie broke out laughing. Mal heard her and turned around fast. "Oh…"  
"So, you liked the song afterall?" Evie asked.

Mal looked down at the floor, and quietly admitted, "Guilty."

"Thank the mirror. I have been playing that ever since someone sent it to me. Just after the game. It's so cute. I mean really what was in that cookie?"  
"Next time I won't go with the one with the best reviews." Mal joked.

Mal pulled the head phones out of the jack, and the song filled the air. She and Evie danced around the room singing. Neither heard the door open, they turned around as they were singing to find Ben, Jay, Carlos and Doug standing there in the door. "R-I-D-I-C…" They exchanged looks and broke out laughing. "Hi guys." They said. Mal turned off the video.

"So you got a copy too?" Jay asked. Carlos nodded in agreement.

"You two did too?"  
"I think the whole school did." Ben admitted. "Guess I made quite an impression." He actually laughed.

"That would be my fault, well the cookies fault." Mal blushed.

"Best cookie I have ever had." Ben laughed.


End file.
